Canadian province sues OpenAI over Tumbler Ridge mass shooting

Canadian province sues OpenAI over Tumbler Ridge school shooting

A Canadian province is suing OpenAI over its alleged failure to notify authorities about concerning user interactions on ChatGPT prior to the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting.

The company has previously apologised for not flagging Jessie Van Rootselaar's account to law enforcement before the 18-year-old killed eight people, including six children, in February.

British Columbia attorney general Niki Sharma said the lawsuit, filed to a US federal court on Monday, raised questions about "the responsibilities of technology companies when they become aware of credible threats of serious violence".

Families of those killed or injured in the shooting have filed separate lawsuits against OpenAI.

Media reports revealed that Van Rootselaar's ChatGPT activity was flagged by OpenAI's safety team for references to gun violence months before the attack, but the company did not alert local authorities.

In April, OpenAI's chief executive Sam Altman apologised to the families of the victims.

"I am deeply sorry that we did not alert law enforcement," Altman wrote in an open letter.

The BBC has requested comment from OpenAI regarding the latest lawsuit.

"To date, OpenAI has not taken meaningful steps to address the concerns raised by survivors, families and the Tumbler Ridge community," Sharma said in a statement.

"The company still has an opportunity to demonstrate accountability by strengthening safeguards, improving transparency and taking concrete action to help prevent similar tragedies in the future."

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Sharma said she had not read the contents of the OpenAI chats.

"We have asked OpenAI to disclose these chats. They have refused. We should all be asking them: Why?" she said, according to CBC.

Sharma said the lawsuit was filed in California, as the alleged decision not to report the shooter's ChatGPT account occurred in that US state, according to AFP.

Sharma told reporters that any financial damages won by the province would go towards rebuilding the secondary school.